OpenUCT :: Browsing by Subject "Historical Studies"

Browsing by Subject "Historical Studies"

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A history of the Kano Book Market, c. 1920-2020
(2022) Adam, Sani Yakubu; Mohammed, A R
By borrowing both empirical and conceptual tools from book history, this dissertation documents the history of the Kano Book Market (KBM) in northern Nigeria. Its sources are drawn from archives, private and public records, oral histories, and "printed manuscripts" (religious tracts retaining manuscript features but printed using offset lithographic technique). The dissertation's main thrust is to document how colonial legacies shaped book traditions well into the post-colonial period. Particular emphasis, however, is given to the book market, which encapsulates the other components of the "book cycle." The dissertation argues that the colonial infrastructure and facilities such as the rail lines, the printing presses and the Kano Airport built in 1936 provided the impetus for the emergence of internal and regional Islamic and Hausa book trade. The Islamic book trade, in particular, was pioneered by a section of Muslim scholars mainly based in Kano whose main goal was to publish Arabic books which circulated for centuries in northern Nigeria and other areas of West and Central Africa as part of the local curriculum in Islamic schools. The dissertation explores the dynamics of relations between these publishers and practitioners, such as printers, lithographers, copyists and authors. Most of the extant literature on Arabic printing and book distribution has focused on Arab cities such as Cairo and Beirut as the global centres of Islamic literature while silencing sub-Saharan Africa. To address this gap, the dissertation, by relying on primary records in private and public collections, demonstrates that the KBM, while importing Islamic books from the Arab countries, was a regional entrepot for Islamic book distribution in West and Central Africa, thus serving as a conduit linking Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, Kano played the role of a regional hub for the distribution of the Hausa popular fiction.
Open Access
The admission of slaves and 'prize slaves' into the Cape Colony, 1797-1818
(1997) Reidy, Michael Charles; Worden, Nigel
This study supports the thesis that slaves were admitted into the Cape colony by the Cape colonial government, even though the government was opposed to slave importation in principle and law (Slave Trade Act, 1807) from 1797-1818. The colonial demand for slaves was at its height after the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie's (VOC) capitulation to the British in 1795. This demand forced the first British occupation government to forgo their anti-slave trade principles and accede to a limited importation of slaves into the colony.
Open Access
Africans in Cape Town : state policy and popular resistance, 1936-73
(1993) Kinkead-Weekes, Barry H
This local history focusses on Cape Town's black African population, the development 'Native' (later 'Bantu') policy, as well as the escalating organised resistance which arose in response. The study relies as far as possible on archival sources to disaggregate these themes. On this basis, it provides a detailed analysis of the evolution of policy with regard to influx control, squatter control and residential segregation in the local context. Escalating resistance is discussed in a similarly-nuanced focussing particularly on mounting tensions between the pragmatic 'united frontists' of the Communist Party and the progressive wing of the local ANC, and 'principled' political opponents to the left and the right. Considerable continuity in 'Native Policy' is revealed over what used to be seen as the great divide of 1948, when segregation was supposed suddenly to have given way to something qualitatively different named apartheid. The regionally-specific policy of 'Coloured Labour Preference' is shown to have been, in practice, nothing but empty rhetoric employed in a failed attempt to justify a cruel policy aimed at safeguarding the racial exclusivity of the franchise, while at the same time providing cheap and tractable labour. The thesis calls into question a common assumption that class-concepts best explain changing patterns of resistance in the urban areas of South Africa. Ideological and strategic tensions, irreducible to class-differences are shown to have played a significant role in retarding the struggle for national liberation.
Open Access
Ajami Literacy, class, and Portuguese pre-colonial administration in Northern Mozambique
(2014) Mutiua,Chapane; Jeppie, Shamil
This thesis, based on archival and fieldwork research, provides an historical analysis of the northern Mozambique ajami manuscripts held in the Mozambique Historical Archives (AHM). The main focus is on the role played by ajami literacy in the creation of a local Muslim intellectual class that played a significant role in the establishment of a Portuguese pre-colonial administration in northern Mozambique. The history of Islam in northern Mozambique is viewed as a constant struggle against the Portuguese establishment in the region. Through an examination of ajami correspondence held in the AHM and focusing on two of the main northern Mozambique Swahili centres of the nineteenth century (Quissanga and Sancul), this thesis offers a more nuanced interpretation of the relations between the Portuguese and the Swahili Muslim rulers of the region. On the one hand, it views Quissanga-Ibo Island relations based on systematic and relatively loyal collaboration expressed in more than two hundred letters found in the collection of AHM. On the other hand, it presents Sancul-Mozambique Island relations based on ambiguous collaboration and constant betrayals, expressed in forty letters of the collection. The AHM ajami manuscripts collection numbers a total of 665 letters which were first revealed in the context of the pilot study of northern Mozambique Arabic Manuscripts, held in the Mozambique Historical Archives, under the leadership of Professors Liazzat Bonate and Joel Tembe. The pilot study ended with the selection, translation and transliteration of sixty letters from this collection. For the present study I have read, summarized and translated the whole collection (excluding the 60 letters mentioned above). However, only 266 letters which are more relevant for the analysis and argument of my thesis, I have listed in the appendix of this dissertation; and nine of them I have closely examined and cited as the main sources for the construction of local history and as documentary witness of the historical facts I discuss. The use of ajami literacy in northern Mozambique is analysed in the context of global and regional phenomena. In this sense, it is viewed as a result of a longue duré process which integrated the region into the western Indian Ocean’s cultural, political and economic dynamics. It is argued that the spread of ajami literacy in the region was framed in the context of regional Islamic education and an intellectual network. Both were also part of the process of expansion of Islam in East Africa. xiQuissanga (in Cabo Delgado) and Sancul (in Nampula) represent the two main regional settlements from which most of the manuscripts originated. The ruling elites of both regions represent suitable examples of the integration of northern Mozambique into the Swahili political, economic and intellectual networks. They also offer examples of two different dynamics of the process of integration of northern Mozambique rulers into the Portuguese pre-colonial administration. Through an analysis of the spread of Islamic education and the use of Arabic script in the above-mentioned region, this thesis sought to establish the connection of coastal societies in northern Mozambique to the Swahili world (most specifically to Comoros Islands, Zanzibar and western Madagascar). It was through this connection that the Muslim intellectual class was created in northern Mozambique and played an important intermediary role in the process of the establishment of the Portuguese administration in the second half of the nineteenth century. Through their correspondence and reports, this local intellectual elite produced a body of manuscripts in Kiswahili and other local languages (in the Arabic script), which are now an important source for the history of the region.
Open Access
Anders Ohlsson, brewer and politician, 1881-94
(1976) Ryan, Michael Granger; le Cordeur, B A
Open Access
The arrival of Grey : a re-evaluation of George Grey's governance at the Cape of Good Hope, 1854-1861
(2015) Keegan, Thomas; Penn, Nigel
This dissertation studies the period of George Grey's governance at the Cape from 1854 to 1861. This is examined as a period in which change in British administration impacted imperial policy pertaining to the Cape. The relationships between Cape governors, particularly George Grey, and successive British administrations has received inadequate attention. When Grey first arrived, he was allowed a great degree of freedom by Whig politicians; this had changed by the end of his appointment, when Conservatives had come into power. During this period the granting of greater constitutional independence to settler populations across the British Empire was being undertaken and this led to misunderstandings and conflicts over colonial governors' functions and responsibilities. In this context, Grey himself is an object of study. Numerous historical portrayals define him as a figure of great historiographical interest and dispute. Arguments about Grey often revolve around his treatment of native peoples. Engaging this, I attempt to compare and contrast his representations of different native peoples, particularly the Maori and the Xhosa, discussing why such differences may have existed. This dissertation defines this period as one of scientific growth at the Cape, and Grey's influence in promoting the growth of a self--‐conscious public sphere in colonial society is thus investigated. As the Cattle-Killing holds a prominent place within various Cape histories, historiographical examination of this event has taken place. The Cape populations' reactions to Grey's policies have been examined. Suggestions are made that Cape 'victory' over the Xhosa, following the Cattle-Killing, coincided with this growth in scientific endeavour in promoting the place of the Cape in the 'civilised' British colonial order.
Open Access
Aspects of the impact of apartheid on commerce and industry in the Western Cape, 1960 to 1990
(2008) Wood, Robert Jameson; Saunders, Christopher
The thesis considers the economic performance of South Africa, from the substantial and sustained growth from 1960 to 1974, followed by a period when the South African economy weakened. The Western Cape economy was not reliant on mining, but had a more stable economy relying on agriculture, property and financial services, and later in the period developed high-tech service industries. Business in South Africa suffered punitive rates of tax to pay for the country's apartheid policies. The establishment of the Bantustans as a homeland for the black ethnic groups was a cornerstone of the National Party policy and the cost burden was enormous with the provision of all the trappings of full nationhood. The job reservation policies, which reserved skilled occupations created a skill shortage in the country and towards the end of the period by necessity the policy 'frayed at the edges'. Western Cape business also suffered the impact of the coloured labour preference policy, which was designed to prevent the movement of blacks to the Western Cape.
Open Access
The Association Young Africa and its context with special reference to Trafalgar High School
(2006) Hess, Albert; Saunders, Christopher
This thesis examines the social orientations of the members of the Association Young Africa (AYA), and the circumstances that surrounded the founding of the organization at Trafalgar High School. It endeavours to place these elements in their personal lives as students, their arrests and imprisonment on Robben Island, and the very limited developments that followed on the mainland after their release. The research is important because its central focus, the history of the AYA, is unrecorded. Its significance stems from the fact that the AYA was the first militant student group from the Cape to plan action of a violent nature against state oppression.
Open Access
Becoming liberal : a history of the National Union of South African students : 1945-1955
(2001) Larkin, Clare; Phillips, Howard
The National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) was established in 1924 as a forum for white South African students. The rise of Afrikaner Nationalism in the 1930s and the establishment of the ultra-nationalist Afrikaanse Studentebond (ANS) led to the disaffiliation from NUSAS of the student bodies of the Afrikaans-medium universities. Until the end of the Second World War, two groups of students jostled for control of NUSAS. The first championed the ideal of a broad white South African national feeling and worked for the return of the Afikaans-speaking centres, while the second group, predominantly left-wing radicals based at Wits, called for NUSAS to become a racially more inclusive organisation and admit Fort Hare to membership.
Open Access
Beyond the refugee label : identity and agency among Somali refugees
(2007) Buyer, Meritt; Field, Sean
As the world refugee population continues to rise, so the debate over how to best assist those who have been displaced intensifies. Humanitarian practices often have a disempowering effect on individuals instead of helping them to become self-sufficient. This problem is compounded by the gap between the realities on the ground and the overarching policies of both governments and organizations. In South Africa, the plethora of social issues, the lack of long-term solutions for refugee resettlement and the unsuccessful implementation of national policies relating to refugees contribute to the xenophobia that has become prevalent across the country. When the xenophobic sentiment turns violent, the Somali community has been targeted in the most extreme ways. Using the oral history methodology, this study draws on 17 life story interviews with Somali refugees residing in the Cape Town area. The interviews focus on the refugees' experience with humanitarian organizations and the government policy of their host country. By exploring their memories of Somalia and their relationship to their homeland, as well as their experiences in exile, it becomes evident that the Somalis' personal histories impact on how they negotiate the different forms of assistance that are available, or the lack thereof. Those who have had little control over their own lies in the past continue to have greater difficulty reaching their financial and educational goals, integrating onto South African society, and accessing the rights granted to them by law. Those who historically had some amount of agency continue to do so, despite the disempowering effects of mass assistance programs. In order for governments and organizations to be successful in their mission to assist and resettle refugees, they must have a more complete understanding of the history and cultural norms of assistance of the communities with whom they are working, as well as the realities of the current circumstances. The oral history method, with its ability to account for personal subjectivity, narrative authority, and historical agency, allows for in-depth exploration into the impact of policies created by the external bodies of international aid organizations, national governments, and local organizations at the grassroots level.
Open Access
The black concentration camps of the South African War, 1899-1902
(2003) Kessler, Stowell van Courtland; Saunders, Christopher
Includes bibliography.
Open Access
Boipatong : the politics of a massacre and the South African transition
(2009) Simpson, James G R; Mager, Anne Kelk
The Boipatong massacre has been widely recognised as a key moment in the South African transition, yet limited scholarly attention has been given to the details of this event. The massacre is frequently cited as an example of state complicity in the political violence that shook the country during a period of negotiation and reform. This thesis considers the underlying forensic truths of the Boipatong massacre, but more importantly it examines the ways in which the meanings of the massacre were contested by different political interest groups. Analysis of these contestations gives insight into the dynamics of the transition, shedding light on the discursive struggles that have defined it. Through the agency of certain political actors, a dominant narrative of the Boipatong massacre arose. However, the truths this narrative posited remain contested and contentious.
Open Access
The Cape Khoisan in the Eastern districts of the colony before and after Ordinance 50 of 1828
(1997) Malherbe, Vertrees Canby; Saunders, Christopher; Newton-King, S
My study arose from a wish to consolidate work begun in the 1970s concerning the indigenous people of the Cape - the 'Bushmen' and 'Hottentots' of the historical record who, properly, are called San and Khoi, or 'the Khoisan' • My idea was to build upon existing work (of others, chiefly, but also of my own) concerning their dispossession and subordination by colonists from Europe. The focus has, as far as possible, been the people themselves, with Ordinance 50 of 1828 the pivotal point. The ordinance removed certain disabilities peculiar to the Khoisan and other 'free people of colour' in the colony, and conferred equality before the law. Other researchers have explored the alleged vagrancy of Ordinance SO's beneficiaries, its impact upon wages, and the government's administration of the law. My project is to uncover all and any of the ways in which the ordinance, in tandem with some simultaneous reforms, was actually experienced by Khoisan. The hint (by L. C. Duly) that a study of 'informal processes' at the local level might yield fresh insights suggested a means to raise the visibility of the Khoisan in the colony's 'master narrative' and, in the process, break new ground. It has proved well-suited to the aim of keeping Khoisan experience to the fore without slipping around to more familiar ways of seeing whereby public policy, the interests of elites, or the application of the law insinuate themselves as principal concerns. The most important source materials used are in the Cape Archives Depot of the State Archives. These include mission documents as well as government records and correspondence. Three newspapers began publication during the period of the study (c. 1820-1835). These are housed at the South African Library, as are certain private journals, travel books, and political commentaries of the time. Valuable secondary works and dissertations, in this and related fields, are available at the Jagger and African Studies libraries at the University of Cape Town. Part I provides a historiographical review and sets out the aims and objects of the study. Part II deals with economy and government, law, custom and daily life prior to the 50th ordinance. The first year after it was law, when the Khoisan, officials and colonists tested its provisions, is the subject of Part III. Part IV carries the account to 18 34-35 when a draft vagrant law shook the Khoisan, and war brought havoc to the eastern frontier. The final section draws together certain themes - self-perceptions and identity, acculturation and the status of traditional lifestyles, the Khoisan's 'ancient' and (new) 'burgher' claim to the land, to mention some. The study concludes that the power of Ordinance 50 to transform the lives of those it proposed to liberate (the Khoisan, principally) has been inflated - more strikingly by those who have looked back on it than by its beneficiaries and their mentors at the time.
Open Access
The Cape Squadron, Admiral Baldwin Walker and the suppression of the slave trade (1861-4)
(2003) Chiswell, Matthew; Penn, Nigel
This dissertation is a study of the Royal Navy's campaign against the slave trade from their base at the Cape of Good Hope from 1861-4. During this period the Cape Squadron (which included the West African Station at this point) was under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker. Under his command the first major successes against the East African slave trade were achieved. The study comprises of three main sections. The first gives background information about the Royal Navy, international relations and the state of the slave trade suppression at the time. The second examines the actions of the Cape Squadron under Walker's command. The third section gives detail of the cruises of specific Royal Navy ships and evaluates their success ( or otherwise) in suppressing the slave trade. Themes explored in this dissertation include the international nature of the slave trade, the policy of substituting legitimate trade for the slave trade, the influence of naval technology and how interactions between 'men on the spot' affected the success of suppression. Also explored is Britain's motivation for undertaking so difficult and expensive a task. Conclusions drawn are that the international nature of the slave trade and the lack of treaties (regarding the right to search shipping) with some powers, particularly France, greatly hindered the Royal Navy's suppression efforts. The substitution of legitimate trade for the slave trade worked successfully on the West African Coast but many of the legitimate enterprises relied upon slave labour, a fact which the British and other European powers chose to ignore. The personal interaction between men on the spot proved to be an important factor in determining the success (or failure) of the slave trade suppression efforts. New naval technologies were not as effective as they could have been in suppressing the slave trade due to the poor quality of ships assigned to the slave patrol (although this was remedied somewhat during Admiral Walker's tenure as Commander-in-Chief of the Cape Squadron). Britain's motivation for undertaking the suppression of the slave trade is shown to have been a combination of humanitarian concerns and political and economic expediency.
Open Access
Capturing the soul : encounters between Berlin missionaries and Tshivenda-speakers in the late nineteenth century
(2002) Kirkaldy, A
During the 1990s, missionaries and their interaction with local societies began to assume a central role in historiographical debates in, and about, South Africa. This new focus built on pioneering work produced during the preceding two decades. My study foregrounds the value of the archives and library of the Berlin Mission Society as a source of new insights into the history of V endaJand (today part of the Northern Province of South Africa). In contrast to previous worlcs, which have "gutted" them for "facts", I have used them to engage with the view into the past provided by the missionaries. The main body of the work is prefaced by a background discussion of some of the persistent myths about the inhabitants of Venda.land. This leads into an overview of the nineteenth century history of its indigenous African and settler inhabitants, followed by a short outline of the beginnings of mission activity in the area. The thesis proper (Chaplm 2 to 8) begins with an ~on of the hcginninp of Christianity in the area prior to the arrival of the Berlin Missionaries. I then go on to look at the changed situa1ion, and the differing paths followed by these converts, after the amval of missionaries. Having grounded the study in Africa, I move to Germany in an attempt to understand the making of the missionaries who would record what occurred in V endaland I then return to this area with the missionaries. I explore the ways that they experienced, came to terms with and inscribed themselves on the environment. This leads to discussions of the ways that the missionaries portrayed the landscape and its inhabitants textually and iconograpically for themselves, their superiors at home and the wider circle of friends of the mission. In order to make converts, the missionaries bad to draw the local people out of the environment and understand them. In their terms, only by first understanding local ways could they hope to transform them. Examining their attempts to do this, I look at missionary writings on local beliefs in the supernatural, and their impressions and analysis of the metaphysical and physical bases of the power of local rulers, the ancestors and medico-religious practitioners. I then go on to look at missionary discourse about the power of local rulers and society over, and the inscription of power on, the African body. I conclude the thesis with an extended case study of the interaction between the rulers of the Mpbaphuli people and the Berlin Missionaries. This engages, and draws together, the major themes raised in the preceding chapters. As with the first chapter, it also again draws out the African voice which is present as a subtext to the missionary discourse.
Open Access
The Castle of Good Hope : an examination of controversies and conflicting perceptions : a case study in public history
(1994) Gilbert, Cindy Lou; Worden, Nigel
Public history as a distinct discipline emerged in America in the 1970s and by the 1980s a Committee and Council had been established aimed at promoting historical studies, broadening historical knowledge among the general public and opening up opportunities for historians to work in the private sector, rather than as purely academic historians. The discipline is broken up into a variety of aspects: archival administration, museology, publishing and editing, historic preservation, business history and the media. Historic preservation is an important aspect both in the genre of public history broadly and in South Africa today where the new government of the ANC views the historical buildings in Cape Town as elitist and portraying a narrowly white, ethnocentric view of heritage. This makes the arena of public history one in which much ongoing debate can be found around the various Historical Monuments in Cape Town. The Castle is a crucial example, being the first building in South Africa and strongly linked with colonialism through its history and present use by the army. It has been the centre of much debate and controversy recently with the Castle Management Act being passed in 1993, showing the extent of the debate which extended to parliament. It was decided to study this site and evaluate the background to the debates, considering how new, or not the debates are, and discuss the images of the Castle presented to the public over the last century. The conflicting perceptions of the Castle over, for example its restoration will also be considered. Further, as an historical discussion, it will not be focused on the physical building, as such, as an architecturally orientated discussion would be, but rather the focus will be on the symbolism present in the building, the way the Castle is portrayed in tourist guides and school textbooks, and the response to key debates such as the restoration of the Castle and the presence of an army headquarters in an historical monument by the public as shown in newspaper articles and editorial letters. This discussion will begin with a legislative overview of the Castle and lead into a discussion on the key debates as seen in newspaper articles over the last 70 years. At the same time a history of the restoration of the Castle will be outlined. The restoration itself will be the subject of the following chapter where issues surrounding the conservation of historical buildings in general as well as specific issues surrounding the restoration of the Castle will be considered. Lastly an analysis of the tourist-orientated literature and school-textbooks, influential in forming the broader public's perception of the Castle will be carried out.
Open Access
The churches of Bishop Robert Gray & Mrs Sophia Gray : an historical and architectural review
(2002) Martin, Desmond; Godby, Michael
Bishop Robert Gray, the first Anglican Bishop of Cape Town, came to South Africa in 1848 to establish a province of the Established Church, the Church of England in the Cape Colony, adjacent territories and the island of St Helena. Gray's fourfold objective was to increase the number of clergy, to build churches and schools, to establish missions among the 'heathen' and to found a training college for young men. The focus of the thesis is Gray's second objective - his church building programme.
Open Access
The classics, the cane and rugby : the life of Aubrey Samuel Langley and his mission to make men in the high schools of Natal, 1871-1939
(2016) Löser, Dylan Thomas; Morrel, Robert
This thesis explores the life; educational philosophy; and legacy of Aubrey Samuel Langley, an influential boys' schoolmaster who went on to lead Durban High School as its headmaster from 1910-1932. The aim of the thesis is to come to terms with the origins of Langley's controversial educational philosophy and access the effects of the academic, extramural and pedagogical structures that characterized this philosophy on boy's education and upper class white masculinity in Natal. In order to achieve these aims, the thesis investigates Langley's childhood on the colonial frontier; the English public school system that characterized Langley's own secondary education and educational model that he sort to replicate in Natal; the content and rationale behind Langley's classical academic curriculum; Langley's enthusiasm for and development of school athleticism; the makeup of Langley's covert curriculum and its pedagogical implications; and the mixed results of his entire educational philosophy. These aspects of Langley life and philosophy are analyzed throughout the thesis using the prism of masculinity as another one of the thesis' objectives is to add to the ongoing discourse surrounding the English public school system, its implementation in the colonies and its effects on the masculine character of students. This investigation provides numerous insights into the life, educational philosophy and legacy of Aubrey Samuel Langley. It highlights Langley's rugged childhood on the volatile colonial frontier, and the political and social insecurities he developed as a result of this hash upbringing. The thesis argues that these insecurities, along with Langley's adolescent immersion in the English public school system, led Langley to implement and promote a rugged version of the system in Natal's elite boys' high schools. Anecdotal and secondary evidence suggests that Langley particularly promoted the classical, sporting and disciplinary aspects of the system in order to promote amougst his boys a masculinity that was dually physically rugged and academically refined as this is what believed would enable his students to serve in higher branches of the imperial service. Whilst Langley's educational philosophy and dominant personality ensured that many of the classical and harsh practices associated with the English public school continued to characterize elite boys' education in Natal well into the second half of the twentieth century; the testimonies of three of Langley's more rebellious pupils suggest that, whilst very influential in shaping a hegemonic brand of masculinity, Langley's system was not all pervasive and that it is almost impossible to completely replicate a universal understanding of masculinity amougst men of certain ethno-economic bracket.
Open Access
Colonial mining policy of the Cape of Good Hope : an examination of the evolution of mining legislation in the Cape Colony, 1853-1910
(2009) Davenport, Jade; Mendelsohn, Richard; Nasson, Bill
The rise of the mining industry in the latter half of the nineteenth century transformed southern Africa. It facilitated the process of industrialisation and enabled the growth and advancement of the region's economy. Owing to the importance of South Africa's mineral revolution as the primary driver for economic development, this subject has assumed a strong theme in South African historiography. However, one subject that has been overlooked by historians is the development and evolution of early mineral law that sought to govern the burgeoning mineral revolution in the nineteenth century. This is a history of the introduction and evolution of mineral law in the Cape of Good Hope, the region of southern Africa where minerals were first discovered and exploited on a commercial basis. This history examines the development of mining legislation between 1853, when the Cape legislature implemented South Africa's very first mineral leasing regulations to regulate the leasing of land believed to contain copper deposits in Namaqualand, and 1910, when the Cape Colony, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State joined to form the Union of South Africa.
Open Access
Colour, citizenship and constitutionalism : an oral history of political identity among middle-class coloured people with special reference to the formation of the Coloured Advisory Council in 1943 and the removal of the male franchise in 1956
(1995) Villa-Vicencio, Heidi; Nasson, Bill
This thesis explores the political identity of middle-class coloured people in metropolitan Cape Town focusing particularly on the period extending from the formation of the Coloured Advisory Council in 1943 to the removal of the qualified coloured male franchise in 1956. The findings of the thesis are based largely on thirty-one random interviews with coloured men and women over the age of sixty-three. All of the males had the vote and either the fathers or husbands of all the women had enjoyed the vote. The 'open attitude' style of interviewing was employed, enabling the interviewees to help frame the discussions. Politics for most of my respondents was not an integral influence within their childhood. Most men, however, recalled their fathers voting and have clear memories of election days, political movements of the time and meetings that took place. All, except one, became teachers. Their post-secondary education, often at the University of Cape Town, encouraged most to grapple with the political and social processes of the day. By the 1940s the majority of the males began to challenge the prevailing political structures and beliefs of mainstream coloured society. The childhood memories of political events of most women were comparatively less pronounced. Some recalled their fathers voting, although memories of their mothers involvement in church and welfare activities are clearer. They also recalled political events that affected them directly. Most of the women interviewed either became teachers or they married teachers. This exposed them to what they saw as male-dominated coloured politics and they experienced a sense of political alienation from these political processes. This does not necessarily imply that they were apolitical. On the contrary, looking back, they see themselves as having given expression to political concerns in alternative ways. They also showed greater interest in 'white politics' as expressed through the United Party accepting that it was 'white politics' that ultimately had the power to determine their social and economic well-being. Most women showed limited concern about the removal of qualified males from the common voters' roll. They saw this as having a minimal impact on their social well-being. It was largely the Group Areas Act that socially and economically affected their lives, giving rise to a heightened level of political awareness and involvement. The ambiguities and divisions which marked middle-class coloured political groupings could be attributed partly to the historical policies of social-engineering practised by successive governments, whose intention was to construct a coloured political identity separate from whites, while being grounded in civil privileges not extended to Africans. Most of my interviewees acknowledged that by the 1940s they had accepted these privileges. They were naturally reluctant to see these undermined politically. From 1948 onwards middle-class coloured privileges began to be eroded. This signalled the emergence of a new era of coloured identity.

Browsing by Subject "Historical Studies"

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